Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself eBook

It is his lot to be exposed in common with other men,
to the calamities of sickness, death, and the misfortunes
incident to life. But unlike other men, he is
denied the consolation of struggling against external
difficulties, such as destroy the life, liberty, and
happiness of himself and family. A slave may be
bought and sold in the market like an ox. He
is liable to be sold off to a distant land from his
family. He is bound in chains hand and foot; and
his sufferings are aggravated a hundred fold, by the
terrible thought, that he is not allowed to struggle
against misfortune, corporeal punishment, insults,
and outrages committed upon himself and family; and
he is not allowed to help himself, to resist or escape
the blow, which he sees impending over him.

This idea of utter helplessness, in perpetual bondage,
is the more distressing, as there is no period even
with the remotest generation when it shall terminate.

CHAPTER II.

A fruitless effort for education.—­The
Sabbath among Slaves.—­Degrading amusements.—­Why
religion is rejected.—­Condition of poor
white people.—­Superstition among slaves.—­Education
forbidden.

In 1833, I had some very serious religious impressions,
and there was quite a number of slaves in that neighborhood,
who felt very desirous to be taught to read the Bible.
There was a Miss Davis, a poor white girl, who offered
to teach a Sabbath School for the slaves, notwithstanding
public opinion and the law was opposed to it.
Books were furnished and she commenced the school;
but the news soon got to our owners that she was teaching
us to read. This caused quite an excitement in
the neighborhood. Patrols[1] were appointed to
go and break it up the next Sabbath. They were
determined that we should not have a Sabbath School
in operation. For slaves this was called an incendiary
movement.

The Sabbath is not regarded by a large number of the
slaves as a day of rest. They have no schools
to go to; no moral nor religious instruction at all
in many localities where there are hundreds of slaves.
Hence they resort to some kind of amusement. Those
who make no profession of religion, resort to the
woods in large numbers on that day to gamble, fight,
get drunk, and break the Sabbath. This is often
encouraged by slaveholders. When they wish to
have a little sport of that kind, they go among the
slaves and give them whiskey, to see them dance, “pat
juber,” sing and play on the banjo. Then
get them to wrestling, fighting, jumping, running
foot races, and butting each other like sheep.
This is urged on by giving them whiskey; making bets
on them; laying chips on one slave’s head, and
daring another to tip it off with his hand; and if
he tipped it off, it would be called an insult, and
cause a fight. Before fighting, the parties choose
their seconds to stand by them while fighting; a ring
or a circle is formed to fight in, and no one is allowed